Untitled
by Thessian Shadow
Summary: A completely random story idea. It may include pairings. EO, DC, AE, JM. Dunno how far I'll go. Anyway, story focuses on Arthur Branch and Elizabeth Donnelly. Please read and review!
1. Personal

**Untitled  
**_Chapter One: Personal_

**A/N:** Ok, so I'm revamping this story. I loked over it and am not satisfied with my work on it I love SVU and so I want to give tis story all I've got. For those who have read it, I'll encourage you to read it again. Chapters will change slightly, not in story, but in style. Enjoy and as always, thanks for reviewing and reading!

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. All the characters and settings belong to Mr. Dick Wolf and all those on the production team

**Pairings:** This story will contain the following pairings: Elliot/Olivia, Don/Casey, Arthur/Elizabeth, and John/Monique (for those not familiar with the pairing abbreviations EO, DC, AE, JM)

* * *

Courthouse traffic started slowly improving and thickening as the lunch hour came to an end. Judges were returning to chambers, attorneys were either searching for them or a way out, and general traffic lined the corridors outside the courtrooms. One judge was not looking forward to returning to the bench, having dealt with the same case three weeks in a row, with the defendant always playing hooky.

The case was People v. Wilcox. Aaron Wilcox had been accused of stalking women, learning their routines, and following them home. Once he was there, he would force himself into the residence, taking the unsuspecting victim from behind with a blitz attack and then begin sexually assaulting and eventually raping the women. In a fewinstances, there had been boyfriends or husbands involved. They were forced to watch whatever went on between their significant other and Wilcox, and then they were shot execution style. Entering the courtroom, she heard the bailiff call for the gallery and attorneys to rise.

"All rise. The case of the People v. Wilcox is back in session. The honorable judge Elizabeth Donnelly presiding."

Liz sat down, nodding slightly in acknowledgement. Seeing the second chair at the defense table empty, she cursed inwardly. "Be seated. Mr. Siever, where is your client this time? This is the third time in three weeks that I've had to set back all my cases because Mr. Wilcox cannot keep himself in one piece or sane." She was looking at the man with nothing less than tired exasperation. Her stone grey eyes were sharp, unlike the rest of her features, which, overall, looked exhausted.

"He was supposed to be here today, your honor. My apologies."

"Save your breath, Counselor. I'm issuing a bench warrant. He'll either appear tomorrow, or he'll face contempt charges. His choice." Writing something down, Donnelly passed it on to the court officer, who handed it off to ADA Casey Novak. "Find him." Seeing Casey looking over her shoulder, Liz rapped her gavel once on the wooden surface before her. "Thirty minute recess."

The general rustle of people moving was the first thing she heard as Casey gathered her paperwork and notes. Turning fully toward the gallery, she was approached by the lead detectives on the case, one whose blue eyes were locked on the defense attorney who was on his phone. Easing her paperwork and notepad back into her attaché, Casey crossed her arms.

"Looks like you two get to scour the hospitals again. Don't forget the mental ward."

"I'm getting really tired of chasing this scum bag down. How much longer can he stall this trial?" Elliot Stabler adjusted his tie, finally turning his gaze on Casey. "He's getting desperate."

"I know, El. I'm tired of hearing his sob stories about ho accidents happen. It's almost like the Parker case all over again." Olivia Benson raised her eyebrows as Seiver replaced his phone, walking off in a huff. "I mean come on…"

"This is exactly why I could grow to hate this profession. We'll need to find him and get him here so that this case can finally continue. The defense has a right to a speedy trial, but I think he's forfeiting that right." Casey threw her bag over her shoulder. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

The three left the courthouse, going their separate ways. Elliot and Olivia moved toward the local hospitals, searching to see if their guy had made any recent check-ins. Munch and Fin were handling the half that they were closer to, narrowing down the searching. Casey took the subway, heading back to her office. She had an appointment with District Attorney Arthur Branch that she could make now that the case had been held off again. Knocking on his door, she entered the office at his acknowledgment. Choosing to close the door, she stood before his desk, loking down at him as he removed his glasses.

"You wanted to see me, Sir?"

"I did. How is the case going?" There it was, that same concern that he had shown earlier when the hearings had just started. Casey raised her eyebrows and took the seat he wwas motioning for her to take. "Any more problems?"

"If you call his playing hooky a problem, then yes. Wilcox hasn't shown up again, and a bench warrant was issued. SVU's on it. Can I ask why you're so involved in this particular case?"

Choosing to wipe his glasses off, Arthur started to avoid the question, groaning at the news of another delay. Finally cleaning his already spotless lenses, he replaced them in their case. "I am always involved in all cases that pass through this office. I'm not making an exception with this one."

"Yeah, but it just seems you're giving this one a little more attention than usual. Is something bothering you about this case? Do you know one of the victims? I'll be discreet if that is what you're worried about." Casey gave him a more friendly look than she was accustomed to when dealing with her boss. Arthur took a moment to consider this, deciding against avoiding the uestion. Motioning for her to sit down, he took his usual place behind his desk, except he didn't sit down. He stood, leaning against the book case, facing her with a tired expression.

"Do you know why I took a step back and let McCoy run this show for the moment, Casey?"

"Because you're thinking of retiring soon?" Casey said this with a joking air which Arthur appreciated. He laughed lightly, welcoming the humor. Shaking his head, he continued on a more serious note.

"Thankfully, no. I actually did this to spare the defense the chance of gunning for a mistrial due to impropriety. I've kept my hand off the wheel this time around, and I've been following this cse a little more enthusiastically than usual, so you've got me there. The purpose of it was to keep my personal opinion out of the courtroom and out of the defense's black book of desperate last attempts." Arthur finally chose to sit down, reading the interested look that had just crossed Casey's face. Ï do know one of the victims in this case. I know them very personally. She's my wife's sister. Came up here for a conference, stayed here for a few days, and on the night before she was supposed to head back down south, that animal reared his head. Now, she's been interviewed, forced to relive that night again and again, and all she wants is to get away from it. I've been trying to convince her to testify, but I haven't had any luck."

"Hold on a sec… The reluctant victim is your sister-in-law? Jillian Keller is your sister-in-law?" The slight shock had escalated to a medium level now. Casey looked through a few notes that she had taken on the afore mentioned victim, and as she looked up, she saw Arthur nodding grimly.

"That's why I stepped down. You cn see just how this would effect the case's outcome."

"Yeah…" Casey finished looking over her notes, replaced them, and looked back at him. "Has she said anything that might be useful? We have no DNA, no prints, no nothing. All we've got are latex smudges, the victims'ID and that's not saying much. He worked as a volunteer at a few of the neighborhood charity organizations that all these victims were involved in. They could have seen him anywhere."

"Since when did you start theorizing for the defense?" This time, it was Arthur's time to joke. Casey smiled, knowing that humor was needed right now just as much as seriousness, but it was true. They heard him, they barely saw him, and it could have been like the West case again. Mistaken identity had almost sent Martin Tranway walking out of that courthouse free as a bird. "Well, keep up what you're doing. I'll check in with you later in the week. He'll show up tomorrow or Liz'll lock his ass in jail."

"There's a quick win. Too bad we couldn't skip the trial phase." Casey stood, preparing to head to her office. "How far do you want this information to go, Arthur? Special Victims should know the identity of the first victim, your sister-in-law, so that it will be there in their records. At the moment, all they have is Jane Doe listed."

"That's as far as I need this going. I'm heading out. I'll be back around 4:30. Relax a bit Casey, because there's nothing you can do except wait for more information." Arthur replaced his glasses into their case, slipping it into his jacket pocket, and headed for the door. Opening it, he motioned for her to exit first, and then he closed it behind him.

"Right. I'll see what te detectives have found. They've been searching for him, so hopefully they find him or at least a record of where he's been." Casey started to unlock the door to her office, watching Arthur descend the stairs down past homicide, where he said something to ADA Tracey Kibre. Since the DuVal case, Casey had hit up the homicide ADA on occasion, the two of them tended to get along well. Since then, they had been handing off cases to one another when the situation warranted. Hearing the lock click, Casey turned the knob, entering her office.

* * *

Liz entered the safe haven that was her chambers, or this room had been since this trial started. Looking back over the last few weeks, she saw the defendant's shotty appearances, the reluctant witnesses, the testimony from the prosecution, and all of it was spinning, spinning out of control. Feeling a throbbing in her head, the judge knew just how quickly this headache could ascend to new levels. Deciding to head it of, she pulled a drawer out, removing a bottle of prescription headache medication. Popping one and downing a small amount of cold coffed, Liz suppressed the disgusted look that was bound to pass over her face if she let it. Hearing her phone ring, she answered it on the second ring.

"Elizabeth Donnelly." The sound of ragged breathing met her ears. From the sound it was a man. "Who is this?" Hearing nothing in response to her question, she was tempted to drop the receiver back down onto the cradle. As her grip tightened around it, she heard the presumed man speak.

"Judgment will come sooner than you think, my dear. It won't be you making the decision. You are the pawn and I am the master. Don't turn around. I'm always here." A pause came after this statement, followed by more ragged breathing, and then the line went dead, the connection broken. Turning quickly, Liz moved to the window, looking down at the street and at the buildings across it. Spotting a man at a payphone, she had just enough time to see him before a bus rushed past, and as it moved on, the payphone stood abandoned. A court officer stopped in the doorway on her way down to another courtroom, giving the judge a questioning look.

"Everything alright, Judge?"

"Perfect." Seeing the officer move on, Liz picked up the receiver and dialed a vaguely familiar number. Hearing it ring on her end, she relaxed slightly, the previous conversation, however one-sided, echoed in her mind.

"Cragen."

"I want this line dumped, incoming only, and the payphone at the corner Quick Mart dusted."

* * *

Olivia and Elliot had swept the local hospitals, clinics, and the like searching for their truant defendant. Nothing had come of it, though. Striking out at every place they checked, even ATMs, they weren't surprised when they got a call from Novak to head back. Sitting in traffic for a moment, Elliot turned in his seat to get a look at his partner.

"Do you think I take this job too seriously?"

Taking a moment to really mull the surprising question over, Olivia moved a stray hair from her face. Turning, she answered. "I don't really think you take it too seriously, but I do think you should step back on occasion. You've been letting your personal life ccloud your judgement. Look at the Senet and Beven cases. I'm not going to go over that again, but the line is crossed."

"Yeah…" Easing the car closer to the precinct, Elliot thought about it. He had really jumped the gun with Ray ad he hadn't given Valerie Senet a fair shake, though she had turned out to be a liar in the end. "I just feel like I'm losing so much in this job. Lost my family, my kids, almost lost you… I mean I'm slipping here."

"It's a slippery slope, El. Remember what you told me when I started working here. You don't get tp pick the vic. That's just how it goes…" Olivia paused, remembering her first hard case, knowing that the two women had killed a Serbian who had raped them and killed their families. "Trust me, I don't like how it works, but that's how it is…"

"Unfortunately, that is how it is." Parking the car, he exited the driver's side, waiting for her to join him. Ascending the steps to the precinct, they entered.

In the suadroom, the two had just removed their coats and were about to check with the other two detectives to see what they found. Hearing the door to Cragen's office open, four sets of yes locked onto their captain. Don Cragen leaned against the doorway once he had stepped outside the small confines of his office. Looking them over, he was joined by Casey, who looked tired and slightly worried. Not bothering to sit down, Olivia crossed the room, comig to stand near the two, followed by Elliot. Seeing Don motion for the others to do the same, the small group was joined by John Munch and Odafin Tutuola. All of them had the same thought buzzing in their heads as Cragen straightened up.

"What's going on, Captain?" Olivia was first to speak, ripping the question out of all their minds and throwing it out there.

"You all aren't going to believe this. We've just gotten word from the DA's office. Which do you all want to hear, the bad or the worse?"

"Worse." Four voices spoke at once, making the decision easy. Cragen looked at Casey who nodded, already knowing the bad news.

"The presiding judge has just been threatened, presumably by the dirt bag that she issued the bench warrant for this afternoon. TARU is out there now, responding to her request, which was to have her private line dumped. They're also dumping the payphone across the street and checking it for prints. What have we got on this guy, people?"

"A whole lot of nothing. He's not at any local hospitals, clinics, the mortgue, or anything. Canvased the local neighborhood, still nothing." Olivia said this while Elliot nodded in disappointment. "You guys find anything?"

"So far, zip." Fin said this, crossing his arms. "He's covering his tracks, both physically and electronically. No bank transactions, no activity on his cards, nothing."

"Living off grid, great. Now, onto the bad news. Novak just found out that the first vic was Jillian Keller." Seeing the confusion at the name, Casey answered the unspoken question.

"Jillian Keller is Arthur Branch's sister-in-law. She came here to New York for a meeting, stayed here two days afterwards, and on the night before she was scheduled to leave, she became our original victim in this case. She's still refusing to talk about it."

Thinking on this news, the suad stood in silence, wondering ust what could have made Elizabeth react to such a threat, mild or severe. She was about as steely as they came, and didn't take things like this with much consideration without real evidence to back it up. This seemed highly unusual for a perp to threaten a judge, especially one who was over his own case, when he didn't show up for court. Then again, there was nothing normal about this case it seemed. Looking at each other, the detectives, captain, and ADA had nothing to say aloud. Their thoughts were the same, though. This case was hitting home. This prick had made it personal.

* * *

**A/N 2:** Ok, this is the revised version of chapter one. I'm probably going to change the name of this story once I find one that is appropriate, so look out for that. I'll be working on chapter two very soon. I've got an Avatar (2009 movie) fic that I'm working on along with a novel. Busy busy, but I'll keep up with this story. Thanks so much to my loyal readers who have stuck with me on this one. It's been one that has been gathering dust that I want to revamp and I want to give it my best :)

Cheers!


	2. Right Here

Chapter Two: Right Here

Elizabeth paced her chambers as the techs finished up. The half hour recess had long since been up, but there was no sign of the defendant, and now his attorney was gone. David Ceiver had always been a respectable attorney, but now things were seeming to turn.

"Are you all done?" She shot them a piercing look while they were clearing their gear out. "I have some paperwork to file."

"Yep. We're just getting' this stuff out of your way. The luds have been directly sent to SVU. Why didn't you want to see who threatened you?" One particularly nosey tech looked directly at her. "If I was under threat, I'd sure as hell like to know who did it."

"If I did find out, and it had something to do with this case, it would be inappropriate. People would think I was biased against the defendant. That's why my hands are tied legally." She watched them troop out, and realized that those pain killers were working a little too well. Her body was becoming numb, and soon she was falling back into her chair, and sinking into blissful blackness.

Arthur Branch stood outside an apartment building attempting to make up his mind on how to approach the owner of 4B. When he entered, he found people crowded round the television listening to the news report on Wilcox' bench warrant, and raised his eyebrows questioningly. _I wonder how that leaked to the press… There goes the hope of finding him and returning to the trial…_ The elevator was quiet as he advanced toward the 4th floor. Hopefully, the occupant of 4B would not be busy. The doors opened, and he headed a short piece down the hall. The television was on in the apartment. _A good sign…_ He knocked softly, and was surprised when the door was opened almost immediately. "Arthur…"

"Amelia… I wanted to know how you wee holdin' up after…." He paused looking for the right words. Her face was a mask of unreadable emotion. She motioned for him to enter, and he did. "I'm fine… I just heard that the judge was threatened. Who do you suppose did that?"

"What? Eli-I mean Judge Donnelly was threatened? When did you hear that?" This was obviously news to him. She stared at the mix of horror and concern on her brother's face. "It was on the latest news report. They just said that she was threatened over the phone, and that SVU was searching for viable suspects. They said that Wilcox was one of them…"

"I didn't know…" He sat down massaging his temples. It was amazing that someone would openly threaten a judge when the line could be traced. _What complete idiot would attempt that? Especially with Liz?_ "Would you be willing to testify against him?" This question surprised her a little. "I mean… the case won't be strong and solid without it."

"If I have protection, then yes. I don't want to risk what happened to happen again… Three days and nights of rape and torture are enough." Arthur gave Amelia a sympathetic look. She hadn't opened up and spoken a word about her abduction at all, and it was sheer luck that that slipped. "I know. I'll arrange it when we find him… He wouldn't dare another attack with that bench warrant out now. If anyone spots him, they'll try to turn him in for an award of some sort." She nodded, and he rose to his feet. "If you wanna talk, then please," He handed her his card with a work, cell, and home number written on it. "Don't hesitate to call. I'll always have time to talk." Arthur stepped out and headed down the hall with the hope that she wouldn't. It was painful enough to know that his parents had rejected her, and now she had to put up with this mess.

Casey sat in her office with John and Fin discussing the possible locations of the missing defendant and/or his attorney. So far things didn't look good.

"So basically he could be anywhere in the tri-state area. I mean he has money, good looks, and a smooth talking habit." Munch groaned as Fin elbowed him in the ribs. "Cheer up. Surely we can find him before he comes after you to shut you up." Casey smirked at their antics. It was good to have some humor during this frustration. "Well, I've already flagged his credit cards and his passport is virtually useless. We shouldn't have much of a problem. Border patrol is checking every car coming and leaving from New York."

"How'd you pull that off?" Fin raised a quizzical eyebrow. "You got some friends?"

"Had to call in a huge favor. Plus Mary Clark is using private sources."

"Technology is useless in this. It's good we have ex-judges on our side." Munch smirked as Fin made a face. "You really gotta shut up sometimes…"

Blackness enveloped her mind as Liz fell through an icy void. Her thoughts echoed loudly around her, and images of what she was thinking sprang up causing her to jump. Aaron Wilcox' bloody hands wrapped tightly around those women's necks, the sounds of muffled screaming, Arthur reaching out for something he couldn't grasp… When she tried to touch his hand, he faded away, and a cold laugh filed her head. Someone was watching her…

"You're too late…" The voice faded as soon as it had come. Pain shot through her body as it seemed she hit solid ground. It was wet and thick with a metallic scent. _Blood…_ Again, her thoughts echoed loudly against the cruel silence. It was as if she was completely alone, isolated, and being broken down to nothing all under the watchful eye of an unknown person.

"Let me go!" She screamed as pain brought her to her knees. "God damn you…"

As if on cue, her eyes snapped open, and she found herself back in her chambers, freezing. Footsteps were heard, and a few seconds later Arthur came through the partially open door. "Elizabeth? What the hell was that all about? I thought something-" He stared at her facial expression. She looked detached at this point, alone, and shattered. It was as if she would break the second someone laid a careful hand on her porcelain skin. "Liz..?" He crossed the room in a few srides and laid a hand on her shoulder. She shuddered violently under his touch. _It's as if his flesh burns with intensity… as if-_ She couldn't bring herself to look up into his ieyes that were more than likely filled with concern. _After all, he was there when my husband decided to treat me like a worthless whore…. He knows more about me probably more than anyone…_ A single tear found its way to her eye, and slowly fell down her face. Arthur stared in amazement and confusion. "Elizabeth, I'm right here…" Those words seemed to hang in the air like a heavy fog before they finally sank in. _Right here…_


	3. Lost and Found

Chapter Three: Lost and Found

The squad was getting frustrated. There was no sign of Aaron Wilcox anywhere, and things were becoming increasingly difficult. Casey had been informed on Donnelly's current situation. She refused to see or speak to anyone. Arthur had finally given up, and now he was probably at home pacing. Don cleared his throat as he stepped into the squadroom. "He's been off the map for about twelve hours. Why hasn't someone seen this screw-up yet?"

"Well, there has been no activity on his credit or debit card. His passport hasn't been used yet. We have no way to track him right now..." Elliot was staring blankly at his computer screen as he said this. "How's Donnelly?"

"She still refuses to see anyone. Branch has tried calling her, but no luck. I think it's Wilcox who scared the hell out of her."

"I dunno… It just seems so unlikely that Liz would be intimidated by this prick." Novak re-entered the squadroom after speaking to her boss on the phone. "She's never been one to be quickly intimidated."

"Especially when she was Bureau chief…" Munch smirked remembering the cases she tried when Alex was against doing it. "She was one to 'make little kids cry'." Fin sniggered at that. "You're pretty good at doin' that yourself."

"Well, did Branch tell you anything about what made the judge keep quiet?" Don raised an eyebrow at his detectives. "It would help with this. Do you think she'll recuse herself?"

"No. She has dealt with this cas since its opening statements. I don't think she'll give up on it. As for what made her like this, Branch heard her screaming as he was coming to check on her. He found out that she had been threatened, and well… She was heard saying "Let me go! God damn you…" If you can make sense of that, let me know." She glanced around for any volunteers. "Didn't think so."

"Well damnit…" Cragen shook his head and returned to his office to make some calls. The whole unit felt as he did now: trapped, useless, and overworked. Elliot's phone rang, and it surprised him at the number he saw across thr front. "Dani?" The whole squad's eyes went to him. Dani Beck had gone back to her old job after that confrontation with that little girl. "What's goin' on?" His facial expressionchanged quickly as he heard her panicked voice. "Okayo-okay. I'll be right there. Hold on. Stay on the phone!"

He got up, grabbed his coat, and fumbled in his pocket for his car keys. "Hey, you stay on the phone. I'm coming." It was clear that something was up, and he looked to Olivia. "You comin'?"

"Yeah." She quickly slipped on her coat and they both hurried out the door. Casey tilted her head to the side, and John smirked. "No matter how hard they try, people can't stay away from SVU."

"Oh brother…" Fin muttered this with mock annoyance. I'm surprised Monique Jeffries hasn't kicked your boney ass yet."

"For your information, she hasn't because she isn't pissed off by me all the time…"

"Yeah right."

Elliot was driving faster than the law recommended, but it was needed. Dani had called him out of the blue, and it seemed she was in trouble. Olivia gave him a look. "El, what's goin on?"

"You know when you worked with the feds? Well, I had a replacement partner…"

"Yeah. I've met her." This came as a surprise. "You have?"

"Yeah. I had just gotten back, and I wasn't ready for SVU quite yet. I came to see you, but you were interrogating someone. So anyway, what happened?"

"Well, that was Dani who called, and she said something about that girl…." He concentrated on driving now. "The girl that was a littlee psycho? The one that tried to burn her place down saying they'd be together?" Elliot looked up sharply at that. "How'd you know about that?"

"It was in her file. Do you think she's tryin' to finish what she started?" He shrugged. It was impossible to tell with that kid. She had learned a little too much about Dani for her or Elliot's comfort. "I dunno…. If she got a cance, that girl would do it."

They pulled off the main road and entered a quiet area away from the city lights. Since her husband had died, Dani lived away from the wild, stressful, and confusing city life. It seemed to remind her of him and his death. "I only came out here once…"

"Why?" Olivia was curious now. "Because after one of our cases, we both needed someone to talk to, and since you weren't around, I guess she was the next best thing." He pulled onto a narrow street , and from there he could see smoke billowing up from the house on the far end. "Shit!" He slammed his foot on the gas, and the sedan took off. Olivia was staring transfixed at the fiery scene when they pulled up. Columns of smoke were desecrating the navy sky, and flames were eating at the house from the inside out. "Come ons! I'll need your help in this!" Elliot's shout brought her back, and she rushed out o the car with the hope that the young cop was still alive in that mess of fire and ash.

Arthur paced his study as the news came on. The basic stock market reports consumed the first fifteen minutes, then it went to air raids in Iraq. _Well obviously there isn't anything local in the news tonight…_ He cut the television off with a sigh. It was odd what Liz had screamed before he had entered. She wouldn't say a word, but she handed him something written in shaky script. The folded paper burned in his coat pocked, so he finally opened it and read:

_**Blackness was all it was. I fell through cold blackness, and my thoughts echoed around me. I saw images of what I was thinking… Then I saw you reaching out. I tried to get to you, but you faded away as I was about to. What does it mean? A voice said "It's too late"… What does it mean, Arthur? When I hit solid ground, I felt pain… Someone was testing me. I don't understand…**_

He stared at it as he read it again. Someone was testing her? "Liz I wish you'd call or something… I don't understand. Was it a dream? Was it a hallucination? God, throw me a bone here!" He picked up his cell,and called her home number, hoping against hope she'd answer, but that didn't happen. Before it even reached her voicemail, he hung up. _It's useless…_"Damnit , Liz!" He turned to the door and proceeded to leave his study, but a voice stopped him.

"I told her it was too late…"


	4. Open Your Eyes

Chapter Four: Open Your Eyes

Flames ate at the wooden interior of the entrance hall as Eliot and Olivia forced the front door open. The smoke detector was obviously not functioning, because the one above their heads wasn't sounding. The sound of breaking and crackling wood caught their attention, and Olivia pulled Elliot sharply to the right.

"What the hell?" He stared around in semi confusion. "What'd you do that for?"

"In case you didn't notice, the ceiling is falling. That piece would have nailed you in the skull." She advanced on the staircase, and he followed soon after. The upstairs landing was shaky as they steadily crossed it to reach the master bedroom. The door was jammed, and Elliot wrapped his jacket around his hand, preparing to wrench the it open. "Stand back."

When it was pulled open, the heat and smoke knocked them both backward, and they stared in horror at the towering white-hot flames that had torn a hole in the roof, and were spilling out of the roof. "DANI! Can you hear me?!?" Elliot forced himself to stand and enter. The heat was unbearable, but he thought he heard her strangled cry coming from the furthest corner. "If you can hear me, scream as loud as you can!" He saw her desperately fighting against bonds that tethered her to the bed. It was a sheer miracle that they hadn't become ash like the res of the place. "Olivia, over here!"

She tossed the extinguisher at him, and he luckily caught it. The thought of seeing him burn in this hellish fire was a little too much for her to bear, and she leapt over a steadily climbing pillar of fire. "Olivia, I'll get over there and untie her. You put the flames out as I go!"

"Hell no! I'm not lettin' you get stuck if this thing doesn't work! I'll go!"

"Wha-" She stepped forward and leapt across a fiery obstacle. "No time! Start Sprayin'!" He had to comply considering she was already struggling to untie the nearly melded rope. Her knife was the only solution to this problem. When Dani saw it, she freaked and fainted. Her head hung limp, dangerously close to a wall of fire that Elliot was attacking with Styrofoam. Eventually Elliot saw them through the smoke, and he managed to pull them to safety before the fire rekindled. "Let's get outta here!"

"Elliot, where's the kid?" Olivia was searching the upper level with her eyes roving every dark corner. "Do you think she got out of this mess?"

"I don't know. She could be anywhere. Let's just hope she did make it out. I wanna just-" He was cut off by Olivia's arm barring him from going any further. "Elliot, don't look. Just go to the left. NOW!" He angrily obeyed, and they soon found themselves standing in the cool night air. He took a look at Olivia as she lay Dani in the back seat. "Olivia, what the hell happened to your-" He stared at the blackened skin, and gritted his teeth to attempt controlling his fiery temper. "Damnit!" She slipped a light glove over it, and shut the car door. "We have to get her to the hospital now. Who knows how long she'll live after that much smoke inhalation. She could have asphyxiated already."

"Good point. Let's go. I don't give a damn about the girl." He took off in the direction of Bellevue hospital. The dash light shining crimson as he flew past respective neighborhoods.

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Arthur froze as the sound of footsteps was heard. It sounded as though they were right above him, but that was impossible, wasn't it? After all, this was a one story place. Who would risk walkin' on the roof? A second later, the footsteps weren't heard, and Arthur hesitated, but there was nothing. The phone began to ring, and he glanced at the caller ID. It read 'Restricted" _Figures…_ He picked up the receiver, and placed it to his ear nervously. "Branch."

"Well, I daresay she took my warning well, wouldn't you?"

"What the hell? Who is this!" Arthur's face contorted in rage as he began pacing his study again. "What have you done? What threat!"

"Tsk tsk… Only one question at a time. I more than likely won't answer any of them, but one at a time…" His voice was patient and slightly eerie. "You know what threat, and I'm sure you know who I am speaking of. She can be very easily manipulated… HEer husband proved that." Now his voice was mocking and cold.

"Son of a bitch!" Arthur quickly held his cell phone to the speaker as the conversation advanced. "What the hell do you want from us?

"What do you think? What do I enjoy most? Putting you all in a tight corner, or watching you writhe on the floor like a punished failed experiment! Oh and no dirty tricks…." Hehung up, and Arhur's temper pushed itself to the edge. _Damnit! I had him! If only I had a trace on that line… Well it might lead to any number of pay phones he might be using to mask the call… God I almost had him…_

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Liz's secretary cautiously entered her chambers to find the judge looking horrible. "Judge Donnelly? Might I offer you a bit of advice?"

"May as well… I'm listening to phone threats… What is it?" She didn't even look at the younger woman as her eyes began to roam the ceiling.

"You should go home and get some sleep… You look as though you haven't slept in a week."

"Let's se… Did I hire you to look at my physical appearance, or are you supposed to stare at that stupid paperwork?" She felt a bit of strange satisfaction as the girl straightened up and left the room. It seemed so evil, but it was pleasing. _The girl was a bit of an eavesdropper. How had she known when to come in preaching about my appearance.. Is she watching me? What the hell is going on here? _It pained Liz to think someone was truly watching her like an insect under bright light. What would they accomplish? Intimidation was already working. What was next?

"Your honor?" Casey Novak stepped through the partially open door, and upon seeing the judge's dazed look, cleared her throat. "Liz, Arthur Branch has requested that you see him immediately…"

"Does he expect me to leave this office? Hell, I'm already being watched here… What's to stop some psycho from staring at me once I leave?

"Do you honestly believe that you're being watched?" Casey arched an eyebrow. "'Cause I did, and it turned out that I just forgot my watch… I'm paranoid without it." Liz finally looked at her. The circles under her eyes were becoming prominent. "After that threat, I know I am. If he wants to see me, he'll have to either see me at home or here. His pick."

"I'm surprised you're letting him see you at all. After that walk in, he has been trying to reach you…" Casey turned to leave, but was stopped by the judge's next words.

"It's only a crime if someone gets hurt, you bitch…" She turned to see Liz staring at her cell. The words had barely left her lips, when she quickly withdrew that same bottle of pain killers. "Tell him I'll meet him at my place by six. I have something I want to speak to him about…" As Casey left, she saw Donnelly slip the two pills down her throat, and wondered what the hell was going on.

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"Elliot, you've gotta sit down." Olivia was staring up at him as he paced the waiting room floor. A place was wearing in the thick carpet, and he had been muttering things like "Should've been there…" "Damned girl…" and "I let my emotions dictate what I told her…."

"Hey, pacing and berating yourself isn't gonna wake her up any sooner. It didn't do well after your divorce…" He rounded on her at that. "What?"

"You heard. Elliot, calm down, or else she won't wake… You know how our luck runs." She pulled him down into a chair beside her, and he immediately buried his face in his hands. "Liv, I should have been there to stop that idiot… That girl had it in for Dani since the day they met."

"Well you'll be pleased to know that she was what I told you to not look at. I saw her burnt body in a corner. She was a deamon child, Elliot."

"Yeah I know…" He looked up in tome for a doctor to exit a set of double doors. "Mr. Beck, I'm-" Elliot cut him off. "I'm not her husband. I'm Detective Elliot Stabler, her ex partner, and this is my current partner, Olivia Benson." The doctor nodded. "Thanks for clearin' that up. I'm Dr. Norman Wright. Dani Beck is in critical with several 3rd degree burns and Lacerations. May I ask what exactly happened?" The two detectives stared at each other. "It's a long story…" They both muttered more to themselves than anyone else, but Wright overheard. "Alright, but there was a large contusion on the back of her skull. What did that come from?"

"At this point, all we can do is speculate." Elliot stated this with an obvious note of disgust.

"Well, we have her stable right now, and within a few hours, you can step back and see her. She won't be able to speak until tomorrow afternoon. Her vocals were partially damaged." Norman went back through the doors and left the two detectives in a very uncomfortable silence.

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Arthur had been working on organizing who wo'd get which case, and was interrupted by ADA Tracy Kibre. "Arthur, Casey just called. She said Donnelly agreed to meet you either at her home or her chambers. Your pick. She wants it around six." He sighed heavily. "Well it's 5:30 now, so I'd best get a move on…" As he stood, he handed her a case file. "Here ya go. These are your and Kelly's assignments. Send word to McCoy that I'll speak with him and Abbie tomorrow morning at 8:00 sharp."

"You got it. What's this about?" He smirked. "Some drunk and disorderly cases for Kelly, and a top-priority murder case for you. Enjoy yourselves…"

_Well, now I've done it. I've gotta confront Liz about that threat, and what exactly happened. I don't get that message… If I'm gonna get to the bottom of this, I've gotta better understand the nature of the threat. Here goes nothing…_ He was only ten paces away from Liz's door. _It's now or never…_ He reached out a tentative hand, and before the doorknob was in his grasp, the door was thrown open, and it hit the handrail with a bang.

"Arthur!".


	5. Confrontations Part I

Chapter Five: Confrontations Part I

She pulled him inside, and before he knew what was happening, she was pacing in front of him. Her expression was one of utmost fury.

"What the hell is this I hear about that bastard threatening you? Why was it that you conveniently forgot to tell Casey that this is what all this was about? What did he say about me?"

She was seriously out of line questioning him about this in this fashon. Surely word hadn't travelled that fast... And if it had, how had it gotten out of his ofice so fast? It was unnerving that he might have a rat in his office that knew exactly how to get Liz pissed at him. "I didn't want to mention it because I felt that you wouldn't want to talk about it. I was right, wasn't I?"

"You sure as hell were! I don't exactly fel like disclosing what was said... You know how stubborn I seem to get in these kinds of situations! I mean when I was nearly thrown out by my husband-"

"Let's not go there. I know you're trying to prove a point, but you don't need to remind me of what your reaction was that night. It still plays in my head even to this day." He gave her a sympathetic look as he finally began to calm down. The color was draining from her face, and her fatigue showed. "I don't know why I'm so concerned about this prick... I mean Lena Petrovsky and Danni Preston have been threatened before, and they're not six feet under. Why should I worry, right?" She basically fell into the sofa behind her where Arthur was sitting. Her body was thinner, and the circles under her eyes were as outright visible as they could be possible to be.

"Liz, you've got to try and get some sleep, or at least try to relax. Your body is showing signs of weakness, and when whoever the hell is threatening you sees that, he'll know he's won. Please give that some thought, huh?" He looked at her with eyes filled with genuine concern. She leaned back, sighing heavily as she did, and looked at him with unshed tears fogging up her eyes. "What else am I supposed to do? I can't just give up, I can't just wait, and I can't just hope that this is all some twisted version of my latest case. I mean I could be working too hard, but I seriously doubt it." She looked as if the stress was truly eating at her. The tears began to slowly slip down her face. Arthur felt that it was a very wrong time to be here, but what options did he have? _Do I just walk out and leave her like this... I can't ignore the fact that this job puts even the greatest people on the edge, and I certainly can't let this case eat her alive. I'm afraid that's what it's goin' to do. Normally, I'd crawl in the bottle and hope for sweet release, but I see she doesn't want to take that risk... or not._ He watched as she downed a small glass of clear liquid. For a second, her muscles and facial expression instantly relaxed.

_I feel numb... The fact that Arthur's right here beside me is irrelevant. I feel as though I could reach out and not be able o touch him. He would be so far away that I could reach out forever, and still not be able to pull myself out of this thickening abyss... What the hell am I going to say to him when he addresses me next? I normally don't resort to this but..._

"Liz?" His voice called her out of the enveloping darkness. It seemed to slowly claw at it until the bright light burned her eyes. "Hey..."

"What?" She stared 'round at her companion. He really was concerned now. "I'm fine... Don't worry."

"Bullshit. I won't believe that until your stalker and/or caller is in prison regretting every second he spent troubling you. That's not gonna happen any time soon, so you're screwed until then." She nodded mutely as he reached out and placed a careful hand on her slightly trembling frame. "Liz, I won't ever let that bastard get his paws on you. What are you so scared of?"

"Myself..."

Casey Novak entered Don's office with an odd expression on her face. She had just heard the news on Dani's condition, and it wasn't looking good. Don sat typing up a report that was long past due.

"How's it comin'?"

"It's not... I don't know what the hell to do about this. I mean... I have a former detective that could die any second, and according to Liv, the girl is dead. She apparently died setting the fire. Casey what the hell do I do here?" He stood and walked over to the window and stared out into the squadroom.

"What are your options?"

"Either risk her life and not inform her family, or tell them she's severely hurt. Either way, she'll be barred from returning to the NYPD. I know she wants to come back..."

"Play it reckless and don't alert anyone about it. Not even the Morris Commission. If and when you do that, they'll grill her for getting too close to a case."

"Aright. I'll keep it under wraps, and I need you to do the same. What about your boss?"

"He's gonna prosecute if and when we catch Donnelly's stalker. He's been giving both of them trouble. Arthur's with her now."

"Let's hope he stays there. Anyway, I guess I'll have to put on a completely stupid front for those idiots. I kiss their sorry asses anyway." He signed a paper, and turned off his office light. "Come on, I'll buy youu a drink. I've gotta get this crap off my mind anyway." She considered his offer, and then nodded appreciatively. "Sure." They left with nothing but a nod to the others standing around the precinct.

"Detectives?"

The nurse who had been in the reception office entered. "She's perfectly stable now. You can go see her." Before She had gotten done with that statement, Elliot and Olivia both had jumped up. The fact that they were concerned was written all over their postures as they headed down the hall. They entered Dani's room and froze at the sight. Burned flesh was slowly finding a way loose from her face, but it was a slow process. Bloody clothes were lying in a bin, and Elliot's temper flared when he saw them.

"Excuse me, where did those blood-stained clothes come from? Were they hers?" He stopped a nurse that was doing rounds. "We didn't see any abrasions or contusions on any other part of her body except her head. Dr. Wright pointed that one out."

"Oh yes. They're hers. She had them clinging to her, and we had to remove them. Some skin was removed accidentally. She was knocked out. There was no pain involved."

"Okay... When will she be able to actually talk to us, and explain what the hell happened?" He sat down in a chair beside her bed. The heart monitor was beeping at a reasonable pace. "We've gotta find out what the hell is going on."

"She might be able to talk tonight. I'm not sure... The oddities with her vocals will be healing by then. I hope she remembers who attacked her." The nurse sighed and walked away with a pitying look at Dani. Elliot rested his hand atop hers, an closed his eyes momentarily._ We will find out who did this.. It was probably Eden, but I won't rest until I'm sure..._

"Liz, I don't quite understand what you mean by that last-"

Arthur was cut off as she shook violently. The complete confusion as to what to do deeply frustrated him now. "Liz, what do you want me to do? I honestly don't know how to handle this kind of situation. I haven't been married long enough to do anything like this. Angela left me for some twenty-somethin' year old scrub, and I was left hangin' out to dry." She suddenly wrapped her arms around him and began gasping for air. This shocked him, and he watched as she clung to him.

_What the hell do I do? I can't just sit here like some complete spud... What does this mean for us? I know I had thought... No. I can't take advantage of a vulnerable woman like this. I'd be actin' like the same kind o' scum bags that she hates with a passion. What the hell do I do???_

His thoughts were interrupted as his cell rang. It cut through the uncomfortable silence, and he had to think that it was convenient. "Branch."

"Arty, you are so predictable. I give you a few hours of decision making time, and you go running to her. Do you not have a mind of your own? Do you feel as though you both operate with a collective mind? Let me show you how things work in my ideal world." A click signaled that this call was over, and he found himself plunging through sudden darkness.

A river of deep crimson seemed to be flowing beside him as Arthur slowly attempted to open his eyes. The metallic scent stung, and he raised his hands to his face only to see them coated with th sticky liquid. He stumbled backward, and he swore there was a body behind him. Upon turning, he gasped in horror as Liz's face stared back up at him permanently filled with shock. Her lips were slightly parted as if she wanted to whisper something to him, but no sound escaped her. A sharp pain startled him, and he looked back down at his right hand, and found a small dagger jutting out from his clenched fist. It dripped with blood and severed skin.

"WHAT THE HELL!" His voice echoed and increased in volume as it bounced off the seemingly close walls. "Where the he-" A thick fog enveloped him, and he found himself wrapped in Liz's arms when his eyes snapped open.

"Arthur?" He stared up at her with an equally confused look on his face.

"What the hell was that…" He sat up slowly and rued his aching head. The vivid image of her staring up at him with such fear was still etched in his mind. "I saw you…"

"Really? How?" She guided him back to the sofa. He had stood, stumbled away, and collapsed during that illusion. He leaned against the arm and looked directly at her. "I attacked you… What does that mean for us, Liz? Are we a danger to each other? What if I really do something I'll regret?" His voice had gone from confused to anxious. It was clear that he was shaken by this revelation.

"Something tells me you won't. It was just something somebody wanted you to see."

The bar was quiet as Don and Casey sat discussing general info about recent cases. People were filtering in and out of the place with various partners, and some differing between the time they entered to the time they exited. They had brushed on personal lives a couple times, but nothing ever came out of it.

"So why are you usually alone at night?" Don fixed her with a mock serious glance. "A pretty woman like you, what's the problem?"

"It's not so much my appearance, so much as it is my job. People want to hear about all the sick details, or just run at the mention of sex crimes." Casey looked back at him. "What about you?"

"I've been alone since a plane went down over Florida. My wife Marge was on it, and they fond bits and pieces of her over Tampa. Nobody knows how it went down."

"I'm sorry." She looked at him with genuine emotion. He had to smile at that. "Don't be. She said that when somebody feels for ya, that means you're slowly getting' older. I' wanna be as young as possible."

The bar's dance floor began to fill up as people were getting kicked out of local clubs. Don stood up and looked over the younger crowds heads. "Hey, can I have this dance?" Casey stared at him for a split second before smirking and standing. "Why not?"

He led her out onto the floor, and a waltz was begun. Casey didn't miss the wink the Captain gave the Bartender.

Olivia and Elliot slowly left Dani's room as doctors entered. Something had gone wrong, and she was having trouble breathing on her own. They had removed the tube, but it seemed that she needed it right now. One doctor had gone so far as to say "She may need it for life. I've never seen such a case like this…"

"Let's hope she doesn't…" Elliot resigned to just returning home to his empty house. The kids were with Kathy, and she wasn't going to relinquish them until next week.

"El, you wanna get somethin' to eat? You haven't eaten since yesterday…." Olivia stared at him as he opened the car door. "You can't starve yourself and expect everything to be ok."

"Yeah I know. I guess eatin' sounds good right now. What's on your mind?"

"Don't care. You pick." She leaned back in the passengers' seat, and stared around the city's vast avenues. "This place should be the safest place… That'll never happen, I guess."

"Yeah. If it did, We'd be out of a job." Elliot pulled up outside a local burger joint. "This good?"

"Yeah. Anything is at this point." They entered and were surprised to see John and Monique sitting in a corner table.

"El, check it out." Olivia smiled dryly watching Munch try his luck with his dream girl once again. "This is what, his third time?"

"Yeah. I wouldn't be surprised if he got her attention this time…"

A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's taken so long to update. Hope you like this chap. Couplesbloom, but when WILL Elliot pluck up the courage to confess to Olivia? Will she confess to him first? Anyway, Read and Review! Those make the wait shorter. Take the hint!


	6. When Such A Thing Is Lost, What Is To Ga

Chapter Six: When Such A Thing Is Lost, What Is To Gain?

After calming down and bidding her goodnight, Arthur left Liz to ponder exactly what had been meant from what he saw. He was taking a long walk home to clear his head. The events of the day were really adding up to be a pain, and it seemed that even the strongest alcoholic substance wouldn't wash the stress away. Arthur passed several venders on his way back through the area, but one caught his attention. At first glance, it looked as though the woman was selling crucifixes that were no doubt affiliated with the local catholic church, but upon further analysis, Sister Peg came into view.

"Pleasure to see you, Mr. Branch. What leads you to this area?" Peg had just gotten a girl away from a presumably wealthy man with a negative view towards women, and was now returning to her post. "I didn't know you were of Catholic faith."

"I'm not. I just wanted to warn you of an Aaron Wilcox. He's been all over the news, and he skipped town. He and his attorney are missing. You might want to alert any young girls you see with strange men. Here's his mug shot." After examining it, she placed it on a table and turned back to him. "Thank you for warning me. I'll have to speak to some others and let them know about this guy. He's the one who abducts and holds women for three days before killin' them, right?

"That's how long he held my-" He was interrupted as his cell buzzed violently in his shirt pocket. "Excuse me… Branch."

"It seems you just can't keep your mouth shut, now doesn't it? My next kill will bring your walls of mock-safety down. Keep that in mind." Silence told him that the line went dead, and he mst have shown some sort of uneasy expression, for Sister Peg gave him a concerned look. "Something the matter?"

"Tell them to be on their guard. He's lookin' to strike." With that, Arthur headed straight home with his eyes roving every street and person that walked it

Elliot and Olivia carefully watched John and Monique's conversation. The topics ranged from basic info to latest cases. Cases, and then finally to ersonal lives.

"What has you all down now? I can't see how you're still alone even after transferring to Vice.." John paused before cocking his head to the side and giving her a typical curious gaze.

"Not everybody has had four chances at marriage, John."

"Well I just figured…" He surveyed her more closely and noticed a nearly invisible bruise just below her left eye. "What the hell is that?"

"What?" She looked almost nervous now.

"That below your eye! Who did it?"

"Oh…" Realization hit her, and she quickly thought up a cover. "It's nothing. I got pissed at Mark and he and I started sling stuff at eachother."

"Yeah… I believe that about as much as I believe you would have let Krieger off before he got himself blown up."

"Damnit… Why can't you just leave things the hell alone?" She was about to get up and walk out, but his next words made her freeze.

"Because I love you…"

Elliot raised his eyebrows and Olivia had to smirk at his surprise. "Did he just say what I think he just said?"

"Yeah. You sound surprised. What was that you said earlier? Didn't you say it wouldn't surprise you if this happened?"

"Yeah, but I didn't think it would happ-" He looked at her and picked up his cell from the table. "Stabler."

"Yes, this is Norman Wright. I feel I must inform you that Dani Beck has passed away… She-"

"Hold on. I'm gonna walk out so I can hear a little better." He motioned to Olivia to follow him. "Alright now what?"

"Sir, Dani Beck ended her own life just a few moments ago. She said something about how she had failed in more ways than one, and used a spare sheet to strangle herself. I'm sorry…"

"The hospital was supposed to notify me when and if she could talk. Why wasn't I-"

"She did it right when we were about to call you and your partner in to speak with you. I don't know whether this'll help or not, but she left a note."

"We're on our way. Hold that until we get there, and don't let anyone else see it." He hung up and turned to his partner. "We've got to let the rest of the squad know that Dani just committed suicide."

Don and Casey had just finished their dance and were sitting at their table talking about possibilities.

"I haven't really thought about it that much, I mean its definitely crossed my mind, but I haven't acted on anything. Why, you offerin'?"

Casey smirked at his question. "Maybe. I mean I feel like we've actually gotten to know each other on another level just sitting here." _Damn… I really put my heart in my mouth with that… I wonder what he'll say next. Hopefully it won't be the exact opposite of what I'm hoping… _

"You know… you're right. I believe I've dropped my professional demeanor around you. I guess I just wasn't ready to either move on or let Marge go. Although… I think I'm ready now."

"Hold that thought. Casey Novak."

"Hey, it's Elliot. I've got some news from the hospital."

"What? Is she talkin'?"

"Nope… She isn't sayin' anything. Dani Beck committed suicide just a few moments ago. They're holdin' the note she left for us now. Me and Liv are on the way to get it."

"Ok. I'll let Don know. Have you let anyone else in on this news?"

"No. We'll call Munch and Fin."

"Good. I'll guess that she used a sheet."

"Yeah. They said they were about to call and tell us to get down there to take her statement, but when they entered, she was already dead."

"Great…" Casey took a breath then resumed talking. "We'll meet you there."

"What's goin' on?" Don leaned back and arched his back, hoping it would crack, but it didn't. Casey slid her phone back into her pocket and leaned forward. "Former detective Dani Beck was found dead in her hospital room. The cause of death was suicide. She strangled herself…" At this, they both stood and headed for the door. Once outside, Casey looked up at him for a split second.

"You know, I've been known to finish what I started." She leaned up and kissed him tenderly on the lips while he stood amazed and left without anything to say. When it was over, they just smirked and shrugged at each other ad headed for the subway.

Once at the hospital, Elliot found Norman waiting for them at the nearest nurses' station. A look of confusion was on his face. He advanced toward them with the note in his outstretched hand.

"I read over it, but it doesn't seem to be directed toward anyone in the squad." He shrugged and went off to do his usual rounds.

_**If you're reading this Arthur, you've found the wrong dead woman. This one should hit a little close to home for you. F not, then you are really the cold-hearted bastard that she accused you of being when Jeremy Brice was tried and convicted at your discretion.**_

_**Happy hunting**_

Elliot dropped the note and turned to Olivia who was standing next to him reading it over his shoulder. "What the hell is this?"

"I dunno, but at whose discretion was it to try the Brice kid?"

"That would have been Arthur." Casey and Don approached from behind them. Elliot quickly retrieved the note and handed it off to his captain, who in turn handed it to Casey. "This is crap, Captain."

"I know Elliot, but we'll have to play it out and catch this prick when he slips up."

"And just when will that be? After Elizabeth is murdered?" John came up the hall with Monique and Fin right behind him. "Guess who they found critically injured in her apartment…"


	7. What Is Worse?

_**Chapter Seven: What is Worse?**_

_**A/N: **_Prepare yourselves. This is a short chapter. I'm not used to 'em, but this was as far as I could go and leave y'all guessing. Sorry! ;) Anyway, enjoy this 'cause I'm on vacation and might not be able to update this for awhile what with College and all that.

"What the hell is goin' on? First Dani, now Elizabeth…"

"I think he meant for someone to find her." John said this as Fin, who had recently arrived, was filling Monique in on what had happened so far. "He either left her where someone would just see her, or left her strong enough to crawl away from him."

"What I don't understand is his obsession. He is hell-bent on making her life hell. Why, since he's eluded prosecution, would he start tormentin' a judge?" Don had resumed his typical pacing. "Is there something we don't know?"

"I think there is… I'll be back. I'm gonna try to hold off my boss." Casey quickly headed for the elevator, leaving the rest of the unit to ponder what was really happening.

Norman, who by now was invisible to the rest of the occupants in the room, cleared his throat. "I have one more question to add along with the infinite existing. What did Dani Beck have to do with any of it?"

"She didn't." Arthur had finally steped off the elevator, and was now headed slowly toward them. "She was something to get your attention away from Liz. Her death was unintentional."

"Okay…" Don turned abruptly and faced his detectives an the two attorneys. "Did he know that she would kill herself, and if he did, how would that factor in with his plans? He knows that we are all working split cases."

"Maybe it wasn't a distraction at all. If it just happened, then he could slip a note in at a good window of opportunity." Casey stated this while Elliot looked at the note again.

"Well, Obviously this perv has been stalkin' the judge for a good while. If he knows what went on in the Brice case…"

"I doubt it. That comment about you that's mentioned in that note was made during a conversation with Alex. She wouldn't have made that public knowledge…." Don ooked in deep thought for a few minutes. "I'm ikin' Casey's theory right now. I think this was a moment of opportunity, as opposed to some previously mapped out plan. If that was the case, then the fire would have been set by him, and not the girl."

"This is getting' out of control. First a judge is threatened, and now a cop is dead." Fin said this n one of his darker voices. Elliot nodded in agreement, and Olivia spoke for the first time. "Well, there seems to be nothing we can do except wait. Donnelly knows something about this prick, and we've got to find out what before we can outsmart him. John, how bad off is she?"

"From what I got just drivin' by, the medics wee havin' to wire her mouth shut until they can rearrange her face. That bastard did a real number on her. Sorry, Arthur…" He then left with Jeffries and Fin to canvas the scene.

"Waste of time…" Arthur sat heavily in one of the fold-out chairs. "He won't have left anything behind…." As his head sank into his hand, footsteps were heard. Cragen rounded on the newcomer, but had to lean against the wall to keep from falling over. "Alex!" The other detectives and Branch's heads shot up.

"He didn't leave much, save for an eye witness." She sat down in another fold-out chair, and hastened to elaborate.

"I was just recently released from witness protection, but it wasn't Velez that was the greatest threat. The guy you're looking for was behind the hit and run."

"How the hell does he fit into your shooting?" Don now cocked his head to the side, but stopped dead when his e;ye spoted a blinking red light in the corner. "Never mind. Don't say another word, Any of you… He's got this whole room bugged."

At the apartment, Fin searched the outside, while Munch and Jeffries went through the inside. The wall that separated the sitting room from the kitchen was stained with long streaks of smeared blood. A bloody fingerprint was left on the doorknob that lead out to the back alley. Fin pointed that out straight away.

"Whoever did this wa some kind of idiot. Wilcox wouldn't just leave a print behind… especially not a ten point match." He headed back out, and went to ask any of the neighbors if hey heard anything.

John went back into th bedroom, and stared at the mirror in the adjoining bathroom.

_Remember the last time, Liz?_

"Hey Jeffries! Take a look at this!"

After leaving the hospital, the entire squad met in a secluded area of central park. Thus, he conversation continued.

"Now, as I said before, how did he play into your shooting?"

Alex faced them and finally began speaking. "He's been stalking Donnelly for a long time. That has already been established, but what you don't know is that the two knew each other before this case started."

"Wait, are you tellin' me that Elizabeth Donnelly went on presiding over this case when sh knew the defendant?"

"Yes. According to ecord, Elizabeth was born and raised in the southern region of North Carolina. So was Wilcox. He had a small drug operation that seemed to play in with Caesar Velez' plans at the time of my 'death'. He was working out of the Lydia Motel, and when Narcotics busted a two-time sex offender/dealer, Wilcox put two and two together, and came after me."

"So what exactly was their connection… Elizabeth and Wilcox', I mean?" Arthur looked out at the cityscape as he said this. "And why would it be so important now?"

Before anyone had a chance to answer, Don's cell went off. "Cragen."

"Captain, we've got a problem. There's a bloody message on the mirror here that says "Remember the last time, Liz?", and in the bedroom, there's fluids everywhere. Whoever this is, they didn't waste any time…"

"What do you mean 'whoever this is'?"

"I mean I's too sloppy to be Wilcox."

"Not if he wantedus to find it." Monique's voice was heard in the background. Cragen sirked at his former detective's quick thinking. He took a second. "Go with what your partner's suggesting. See if anyone heard or saw anything." He hung up and faced the others. "We may as well get the medical staff to do a rape kit as well. I think we've found our connection."


	8. A Hand From the Past

_**Chapter Eight: A Hand From the Past**_

A/N: I cannot even begin to make excuses for why I haven't picked this back up. I think it was just because it took a few new eps to get me back in the mood to start back with this fic. Anyway, I hate that I've kept y'all waiting, so enjoy! 

Fin had gone to two of the surrounding neighbors, and had gotten the same answer from both. They had heard a scuffle, but hadn't seen anyone or anything. He was about to hit a third house, when John motioned him over. "Found out anything, aside from people not looking out their windows?"

"Naw. Every person I talked to heard somethin' but saw nothin'. You?"

"Nope. Same result. Jeffries is working with CSU remotely. They're en route."

"Great. I didn't know she'd just pick up a case like that. I wish my old partners were like that."

"What can I say? She can't get enough of me. I'm that good."

"I heard that." Monique exited the building, looking through pictures she had taken with her phone of the crime scene. "Can you believe this? I mean, I've seen first-time rapists, but this is horrible. He had to want us to find this."

"Wow..." Fin looked over her shoulder at the different pictures. "Even when I was just transferred, I expected somethin' more... planned out." He turned to see John calling their captain.

"Captain... yeah, sorry. There's nothing here. The neighbors said they heard raised voices and some fighting, but that's it. They didn't see anything."

"Great... We're here in the park. They're going to do a rape kit."

"Well, they should find something. There were fluids everywhere in that bedroom. From what we've seen, it looks like a blitz attack gone bad."

"Meaning?"

"She knew he was coming, but she didn't know when. Hang on, CSU just got here. What've you got?"

"From a preliminary sweep, I think that it was not just frenzied, but it was planned to look like that."

"Ok... Meaning what?" Monique had joined them now.

"Meaning whoever did this wanted it to look like a ten-year-old who was on PCP C committed this crime."

"Hear that, Captain?"

"Got it. Seems like Jeffries was right. Would he really leave his own print, though?"

John turned back to the CSU tech. "What about the fingerprint on the knob? Tell me that's his..." He waited while they lifted it, but frowned when the tech spoke again.

"Sorry. Looks like the perp used a glove to leave this print. From the blood spatter patterns, I'd say he's looking for a good discreet place to ditch hi filthy clothes."

"How can you be sure it's a man?" Monique examined thefloor, and noticed a distinct shoe impression. "I'm guessing that due to the force exerted, the tread looks to be made from a man's boot?"

"That's right. From the impression, it looks like we're looking for a man who's at least average height, probably taller. He would weigh probably average, if not under that, and I can guarantee he walks with a limp."

"Sounds familiar... Thanks. Captain, we're on our way-"

"Not so fast. Look at this. It was on the floor." Fin picked up a yellowed piece of paper, and the othertwo crowded 'round to read it.

_June 3__rd_

_It was today that seems to have become one of the worst days of my life. After Appeals was let out, I was headed back here to study precedents that were set in cases against women for that final, and he showed up. Aaron has always been an absolute pain, and he proved it this afternoon._

_First he shows up, cornering me in the law building, then when I get back to my apartment, there he is. He let himself in, and at first he was taunting and having a little laugh at my expense. The next thing I know, I__'__m pined against the wall, and his hot breath is on my neck._

"Oh man... Captain, I think we've found the real connection. You won't believe this. We'll catch up with you. In a few minutes."

"Keep me informed of what you find out from CSU, aside from what you've already got."

"Deal." John put his phone back in his pocket, and resumed reading over in's shoulder.

_His fingers closed tightly, and I swear I saw him grinning. I suppose he took pleasure in controlling whether someone lived or not. It was the most power he had ever had. His parents controlled everything else, or so it loked like. I had heard he had a history f wanting women that refused him, but I didn__'__t get the real picture until today. _

_For a second it seemed as though I had blacked out, waking up to unspeakable pain. I didn__'__t dare oen my eyes until I heard him in the bathroom, relieving himself. Within what seemed like seconds, he had started to turn around, and all I could do was close my eyes, and act like I never woke at all._

_Looking back, he was here for at least an hour and a half, but it felt more like three days. After so long, he__'__d pause and do something counterproductive, like rummage around in cabinets and drawers, but that got old quick. It was back to business. I honestly don__'__t know what to make of what just happened..._

The three detectives stood still for a few minutes, absorbing what they had just read. If this wasn't the connection they were looking for, then what was?

"Donnelly went on presiding over this case, with this in the back of her mind." Fin voiced the question that had been on the edge of all their tongues, but there was no question to it. It was more of a blunt statement. Still, all of them were dumbfounded.

"Something doesn't make sense. She's a well-known judge. Would she really risk her career on a sleazebag like him?"

"Hey, we need this dusted for prints." Jeffries stated this as sh texted Elliot, praying his number was the same. When the paper was dusted, there were three sets of prints, one that was faint, another that was smudged, and the glove impressions from where Fin had picked it up.

"The prints are smudged. The old set is probably the judge's. We'll run 'em anyway." The prints were lifted, and the three detectives chose this time to leave. They were careful to mention the cigarette butt that was lying by the door, knowing it was probably discarded by someone else.

* * *

Upon hanging up the phone, Don looked back at the two remaining detectives and the three attorneys. "Looks like Munch, Jeffries, and Fin struck gold at the apartment. Not sure what it is, but it sounds like they've found a past connection between Donnelly and our perp/bail-jumper."

"Yep." Elliot was staring at the screen of his phone a few minutes later. "According to Jeffries, it's a page from a journal or something. Looks like it was when she was in college. Do you think it was while she was in North Carolina?"

"Probably. According to Liz, she earned her law degree down there." Alex spoke up, while leaning against a tree. "She had thourht about transferring out of state, but never did."

"According to Jeffries, this journal entry suggests she should have transferred out." Elliot closed his phone. "They're on their way here. Wonder when the judge'll be able to speak."

"Not for awhile. I just checked with the hospital. They did have to wire her jaw, so that it would be able to be set in the right place. Also, she's been non-responsive, since they brought her in." Arthur had just gotten off the phone, and he looked rather grim. "Tis doesn't look good at all."

"What I don't get is the motive. Hopefully, the others will have more info when they get here." Casey sighed, seeing her boss scratching his head. "All I can say is let the gloating begin. He'll have no trouble letting us know what he's been able to do right under our noses."

"Don't doubt that." Liv crossed her arms, as she heard rustling coming from somewhere to their south.


	9. Chapter 1 is Rewritten and Up!

**Author's Note to all readers of Untitled:**

I know this is basically against site rules, but it is the only way to really get the message out to all those that have subscribed to my story. I have the first chapter up (redone) I replaced the first chapter in this story; Same story, different wording. Hope you all enjo and I'll be doing the same thing with the other chapters. I'll delete this author's note and replace it to let you know that chapter two is replaced and so on. Enjoy, and as always, let me know what you think of the revising J

Cheers!  
Unil Täftxuyu (Dream Weaver)


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